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At a picnic to celebrate Australia's 150th 'birthday', a family discusses significant events that shaped the nation. From re-enacting the arrival of the First Fleet and the birth of John Macarthur's wool-producing enterprise, the film then turns to the present, focusing on rural production, industrial efficiency and the splendid urban landscape of Sydney. As the introductory title grandly proclaims: "From so small a beginning has sprung the virile Australian Nation." Frank Hurley, at the peak of his fame as a photographer, film maker and adventurer, was the obvious choice to direct the film and he delivered spectacular imagery and patriotic commentary with gusto.

Very much a film of its time, with an overall message of progress, and full of statistics - bushels, bales, miles and tonnages abound - A Nation is Built takes national pride to superlative levels. However, much of Australia is missing, and Indigenous Australians and non-British migrants are simply absent. This is really a film about the history and progress of the first colony, New South Wales.